-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new judge was tapped Thursday to preside over the case of George Zimmerman after the original judge was forced to step down .

Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester will be replaced by Judge Debra Nelson , who was appointed to the bench in 1999 .

The move came one day after a Florida appeals court granted Zimmerman 's request for a new judge , saying the original judge 's remarks put Zimmerman in reasonable fear of an unfair trial .

Zimmerman , 28 , is charged with second-degree murder in the February 26 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin .

His attorneys wanted Lester removed , saying language he used in a bail order disparaged their client 's character and held over his head the threat of future criminal proceedings .

The Fifth District Court of Appeal agreed , and Lester was forced to disqualify himself .

Lester revoked Zimmerman 's original $ 150,000 bond after learning Zimmerman and his wife , Shellie , failed to disclose more than $ 100,000 in donations from the public .

The judge then set a new bail of $ 1 million in July , and it was the language in that bail order that Zimmerman and his lawyers took issue with .

The court agreed with Zimmerman 's attorneys that Lester `` made gratuitous , disparaging remarks about Mr. Zimmerman 's character ; advocated for Mr. Zimmerman to be prosecuted for additional crimes ; offered a personal opinion about the evidence for the prosecution ; continued to hold over Mr. Zimmerman 's head the threat of future contempt proceedings , and ultimately set a bond at $ 1,000,000 . ''

The appeals court also agreed that Lester 's remarks `` created reasonable fear in Mr. Zimmerman that the court is biased against him , and , as a result of this prejudice can not receive a fair and impartial trial or hearing by the trial court . ''

In his July bail order , Lester wrote that `` under any defnition , the defendant has flouted the system '' and `` tried to manipulate the system when he has been presented the opportunity to do so . ''

Lester also wrote that it was his `` personal opinion '' that Zimmerman intentionally gave false or misleading information in his bail application -- which is a felony -- and he suggested the possibility of future contempt proceedings .

`` Holding this over Mr. Zimmerman creates a horrible chilling effect on this case , on the defense presentation , and cements Mr. Zimmerman 's fear that he will not get a fair trial from the trial court , '' the appeals court wrote .

Zimmerman is free after posting the $ 1 million bond .

The former neighborhood watch captain has pleaded not guilty to the charges and said he shot the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense after Martin attacked him . Martin , who was unarmed , was walking through a gated neighborhood in Sanford , Florida , to his father 's girlfriend 's house when he was killed .

Florida prosecutors mistakenly release confidential Zimmerman case documents

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Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester steps down

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Judge Debra Nelson is assigned to take his place

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An appeals court had granted George Zimmerman 's request for a new judge

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Zimmerman 's lawyers say Lester disparaged their client